Three good things...eventually

[cosmolinguist]

Today was a hard day, one of those where I'm just worn down I think.

Today I'd like to share this Letter From Minnesota. I keep thinking that Minneapolis, St. Paul, other Minnesotan cities have big populations of refugees, from Somalia and from the U.S.'s "secret war" in southeast Asia. Not just in living memory but people my age who arrived as children. My heart breaks that people who came to Minnesota specifically for safety and sanctuary (Renee Good among them) are now finding it so unsafe.

So. Anyway. Some good things:

1. I got a message saying my bloods are fine, which is especially exciting because this means I can finally (six months later than expected) get blood taken only every six months instead of every three months.
2. I went to the gym and actually felt the good brain chemicals from it this time.
3. Not only has a transphobic group been blocked from a transphobic attempt to keep trans women out of women's swimming places. More than 32,000 people said they wanted the ponds to remain trans inclusive – 86% of the respondents to the consultation on this. This followed previous votes overwhelmingly supporting trans pond users, and a petition with over 14,000 signatures asking to keep the ponds inclusive. Transphobes are disproportionately noisy and have too much access to power in the UK. But it's important to hang on to the reality which is how neutral-to-positive the majority of people are towards trans people.

Comments

[angelofthenorth]

Yay good things.

Hugs if you'd like them

[otter]

In 1980, I was in highschool, and worked as a bag boy at the grocery store, there was a teenager who worked at the Vietnamese restaurant across the parking lot. He'd come in to buy vegetables, I'd bag the groceries, and he took a liking to me and asked me on a date. He and his family still didn't speak much English. I liked him. He was kind. We went on a few dates. I visited his home once. He told me that when he swam across the river, soldiers were shooting at him and his family. I don't remember his name. I have thought about him and his family off and on over the years, and that letter reminds me of him.

[angelofthenorth]

Wow that's quite the experience.

[cmcmck]

We do need to bear in mind that the haters are a tiny minority!